mreilly.icestation-第62部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　The　two　smaller　seals　that　she　saw　were　their　pups。　Male　pups；　Gant　noticed。　
　Gant　wondered　where　the　bull　was。　He　would　almost　certainly　be　larger　than　these　females。　But　if　the　females　were　this　big；　how　big　would　he　be？　
　More　questions　flitted　through　her　mind。　
　Why　did　they　attack？　Elephant　seals；　Gant　knew；　could　be　exceptionally　aggressive；　especially　when　their　territory　was　under　threat。　
　And　why　now？　Why　had　Gant　and　her　team　been　allowed　to　pass　safely　through　the　ice　tunnel　only　several　hours　before；　while　the　SAS　had　been　subjected　to　so　violent　an　attack　now？　
　There　came　a　sudden　final　scream　from　the　pool　followed　by　a　splash　and　Gant　looked　out　from　behind　her　boulder。　
　There　was　a　long；　cold　silence。　The　only　sound　was　that　of　waves　lapping　against　the　edge　of　the　pool。　
　All　of　the　SAS　divers　were　dead。　Most　of　the　seals　were　up　inside　the　cavern　now；　bent　over　the　spoils　of　their　victory…the　bodies　of　the　dead　SAS　mandos。　It　was　then　that　Gant　heard　a　nauseating　crunch　and　she　turned　round　to　see　that　the　elephant　seals　had　begun　to　feed　en　masse。　
　This　battle　was　well　and　truly　over。　
　
　
　
　Schofield　stood　on　the　pool　deck　of　Wilkes　Ice　Station　with　his　hands　cuffed　in　front　of　him。　One　of　the　SAS　mandos　was　busy　tying　the　grappling　hook　of　Book's　Maghook　around　his　ankles。　Schofield　looked　off　to　his　left　and　saw　the　high　black　fin　of　a　killer　whale　slice　through　the　murky　red　water　of　the　pool。　
　〃Dive　Team；　report；〃　an　SAS　radio　operator　said　into　his　portable　unit　nearby。　〃I　repeat。　Dive　Team；　e　in。〃　
　〃Any　word？〃　Barnaby　said。　
　〃There's　no　response；　sir。　The　last　thing　they　said　was　that　they　were　about　to　surface　inside　the　cavern。〃　
　Barnaby　gave　Schofield　a　look。　〃Keep　trying；〃　he　said　to　the　radio　operator。　Then　he　turned　to　Schofield。　〃Your　men　down　in　that　cave　must　have　put　up　quite　a　fight。〃　
　〃They　do　that；〃　Schofield　said。　
　〃So；〃　Barnaby　said。　〃Any　last　requests　from　the　condemned　man？　A　blindfold？　Cigarette？　Shot　of　brandy？〃　
　At　first；　Schofield　said　nothing；　he　just　looked　down　at　his　handcuffed　wrists　in　front　of　him。　
　And　then　he　saw　it。　
　Suddenly　he　looked　up。　
　〃A　cigarette；〃　he　said　quickly；　swallowing。　〃Please。〃　
　〃Mr。　Nero。　A　cigarette　for　the　Lieutenant。〃　
　Nero　stepped　forward；　offered　a　pack　of　cigarettes　to　Schofield。　Schofield　took　one　with　his　cuffed　hands；　raised　it　to　his　mouth。　Nero　lit　it。　Schofield　took　a　deep　draw　and　hoped　to　hell　that　nobody　saw　his　face　turn　green。　He　had　never　smoked　in　his　life。　
　〃All　right；〃　Barnaby　said。　'That's　enough。　Gentlemen；　hoist　him　up。　Scarecrow；　it　was　a　pleasure　knowing　you。〃　
　
　Schofield　swung；　upside…down；　out　over　the　pool。　His　dog　tags　hung　loosely　off　his　chin；　glistening　silver　in　the　white　artificial　light　of　the　station。　The　water　beneath　him　was　stained　an　ugly　shade　of　red。　
　Book's　blood。　
　Schofield　looked　up　at　the　diving　bell　in　the　center　of　the　pool；　saw　Renshaw's　face　in　one　of　the　portholes…saw　a　single　terrified　eye　peering　out　at　him。　
　Schofield　just　hung　there；　three　feet　above　the　hideous　red　water。　He　calmly　held　the　cigarette　to　his　mouth；　took　another　puff。　
　The　SAS　soldiers　must　have　thought　it　a　vain　act　of　bravado…but　while　the　cigarette　dangled　from　Schofield's　mouth　they　never　saw　what　he　was　doing　with　his　hands。　
　Barnaby　offered　Schofield　a　salute。　〃Rule　Britannia；　Scarecrow。〃　
　〃Fuck　Britannia；〃　Schofield　replied。　
　〃Mr。　Nero；〃　Barnaby　said。　〃Lower　away。〃　
　
　Over　by　the　rung…ladder；　Nero　pressed　a　button　on　the　Maghook's　launcher。　The　launcher　itself　was　still　wedged　in　between　two　rungs　of　the　ladder　while　its　rope　was　stretched　taut　over　the　retractable　bridge　up　on　C…deck；　creating　the　same　pulleylike　mechanism　that　had　been　used　to　lower　Book　into　the　water。　
　The　Maghook's　rope　began　to　play　out。　
　
　Schofield　began　to　descend　toward　the　water。　
　His　hands　were　still　cuffed　in　front　of　him。　He　held　the　cigarette　between　the　fingers　of　his　right　hand。　
　His　head　entered　the　murky　red　water　first。　Then　his　shoulders。　Then　his　chest；　his　stomach；　his　elbows　。。。　
　But　then；　just　as　Schofield's　wrists　were　about　to　go　under；　Schofield　quickly　twisted　the　cigarette　in　his　fingers　and　pointed　it　toward　the　loop　of　magnesium　detonator　cord　that　he　had　now　looped　around　the　chain　link　of　his　handcuffs。　
　Schofield　had　seen　the　detonator　cord　when　he　had　been　standing　on　the　deck　only　moments　before。　He　had　forgotten　that　he'd　tied　a　loop　of　it　around　his　wrist　back　in　Little　America　IV。　The　SAS；　when　they　had　frisked　him　and　relieved　him　of　all　his　weapons　earlier；　must　have　missed　it；　too。　
　The　burning　tip　of　the　cigarette　touched　the　detonator　cord　a　split　second　before　Schofield's　wrists　disappeared　below　the　surface。　
　
　The　detonator　cord　ignited　instantly；　just　as　Schofield's　wrists　disappeared　into　the　inky　red　water。　
　It　burned　bright　white；　even　under　the　water；　and　cut　through　the　chain　link　of　Schofield's　handcuffs　like　a　knife　through　butter。　Suddenly　his　hands　broke　apart；　free。　
　At　that　moment；　a　pair　of　jaws　burst　through　the　red　haze　around　his　head　and　Schofield　saw　the　enormous　eye　of　a　killer　whale　looking　right　at　him。　And　then　suddenly　it　disappeared　back　into　the　haze　and　was　gone。　
　Schofield's　heart　was　racing。　He　couldn't　see　a　thing。　The　water　around　him　was　impenetrable。　Just　a　murky　cloud　of　red。　
　And　then　suddenly　a　series　of　bizarre…sounding　clicks　began　to　echo　through　the　water　around　him。　
　Click…click。　
　Click…click。　
　Schofield　frowned。　What　was　it？　The　killers？　
　And　then　it　hit　him。　
　Sonar。　
　Shit！　
　The　killer　whales　were　using　sonar　clicks　to　find　him　in　the　murky　water。　Many　whales　were　known　to　use　sonar…　sperm　whales；　blue　whales；　killers。　The　principle　was　simple：　the　whale　made　a　loud　click　with　its　tongue；　the　click　traveled　through　the　water；　bounced　off　any　object　in　the　water；　and　returned　to　the　whale…revealing　to　it　the　object's　location。　Sonar　units　on　man…made　submarines　operated　on　the　same　principle。　
　Schofield　was　desperately　searching　the　cloudy　red　haze　around　him…searching　for　the　whales…when　suddenly　one　of　them　exploded　out　of　the　haze　and　rushed　toward　him。　
　Schofield　screamed　underwater；　but　the　whale　slid　past　him；　brushing　roughly　against　the　side　of　his　body。　
　It　was　then　that　Schofield　remembered　what　Renshaw　had　told　him　earlier　about　the　killer　whales'　hunting　behavior。　
　They　brush　past　you　to　establish　ownership。　
　Then　they　eat　you。　
　Schofield　did　a　vertical　sit…up；　broke　the　surface。　He　heard　the　SAS　mandos　on　E…deck　cheer。　He　ignored　them；　gulped　in　air；　went　under　again。　
　He　didn't　have　much　time。　The　killer　whale　that　had　just　staked　its　claim　on　him　would　be　ing　back　any　second　now。　
　Loud　clicks　echoed　through　the　red　water　around　him。　
　And　then　suddenly　a　thought　struck　Schofield。　
　Sonar。。。。　
　Shit；　he　thought；　patting　his　pockets。　Do　I　still　have　it？　
　He　did。　
　Schofield　pulled　Kirsty　Hensleigh's　plastic　asthma　puffer　from　his　pocket。　He　pressed　the　releasing　button；　and　a　short　line　of　fat　bubbles　rushed　out　from　the　puffer。　
　OK；　need　a　weight。　
　Need　something　to　weigh　it　down。。。。　
　Schofield　saw　them　instantly。　
　Quickly　he　pulled　his　stainless　steel　dog　tags　from　around　his　neck　and　looped　their　neck　chain　around　the　puffer's　releasing　button　so　that　it　held　it　down。　
　A　continuous　stream　of　fat　bubbles　began　to　rush　out　from　the　puffer。　
　Schofield　felt　the　body　of　water　around　him　rock　and　sway。　Somewhere　out　in　the　red　murk　of　the　pool；　that　killer　whale　was　ing　back　for　him。　
　He　quickly　released　the　small　asthma　puffer；　now　weighed　down　by　his　steel　dogtags。　
　The　puffer　sank　instantly；　leaving　a　trail　of　fat　bubbles　shooting　up　through　the　water　behind　it。　After　a　second；　the　puffer　sank　into　the　murky　red　haze　and　Schofield　lost　sight　of　it。　
　A　moment　later；　the　killer　whale　roared　out　of　the　haze；　ing　right　at　Schofield；　its　jaws　bared　wide。　
　Schofield　just　stared　at　the　massive　black…and…white　beast　and　prayed　to　God　that　he　had　remembered　it　right。　
　But　the　killer　just　kept　ing。　It　came　at　him　fast…fright…eningly　fast…and　soon　Schofield　could　see　nothing　but　its　teeth　and　its　tongue　and　the　closing　yawn　of　its　jaws　and　then…　
　
　
　
　Without　warning；　the　killer　whale　banked　sharply　in　the　water　and　veered　downward；　chasing　the　asthma　puffer　and　its　trail　of　bubbles。　
　Schofield　sighed　with　relief。　
　In　a　dark　corner　of　his　mind　he　thought　about　sonar　detection　systems。　Although　it　is　widely　stated　that　sonar　bounces　off　an　object　in　water；　this　is　not　entirely　true。　Rather；　sonar　reflects　off　the　microscopic　layer　of　air　that　lies　in　between　an　object　in　water　and　the　water　itself。　
　So　when　Schofield　sank　the　asthma　puffer…spewing　out　a　trail　of　nice；　fat　air　bubbles　behind　it…he　had；　at　least　insofar　as　the　sonar…using　killer　was　concerned；　created　a　whole　new　target。　The　whale　must　have　detected　the　stream　of　bubbles　with　its　clicking　and　assumed　that　it　was　Schofield　trying　to　get　away。　
　And　so　it　had　chased　it。　
　Schofield　didn't　think　about　it　anymore。　
　He　had　other　things　to　do　now。　
　He　reached　into　his　breast　pocket　and　pulled　out　Jean　Petard's　stun　grenade。　Schofield　pulled　the　pin；　counted　to　three；　and　then　did　a　quick　sit…up　in　the　water　and　broke　the　surface。　He　then　tossed　the　stun　grenade　vertically　into　the　air　and　let　himself　fall　back　underwater　squeezing　his　eyes　shut。　
　Five　feet　above　the　surface　of　the　pool；　the　stun　grenade　reached　the　zenith　of　its　arc　and　hung　in　the　air　for　a　fraction　of　a　second。　
　Then　it　went　off。　
　
　Trevor　Barnaby　saw　the　grenade　pop　up　out　of　the　water。　It　took　him　an　extra　second　to　realize　what　it　was；　but　by　then　it　was　too　late。　
　Along　with　every　one　of　his　men；　Barnaby　did　the　most　natural　thing　in　the　world　when　he　saw　a　foreign　object　pop　up　out　of　a　pool　of　water。　
　He　looked　at　it。　
　The　stun　grenade　exploded　like　an　enormous　flashbulb；　blinding　all　of　them。　The　SAS　men　on　E…deck　recoiled　as　one；　as　a　galaxy　of　stars　and　sunspots　came　to　life　on　the　insides　of　their　eyes。　
　
　Schofield　did　another　sit…up　in　the　water。　Only　this　time；　when